Zongman: I am on the set of Oregairu, playing the role of Bai Xue

The bar is located deep inside the store.

We welcomed several young and beautiful customers.

Saki Kawasaki, who was wiping a glass, looked up from her meticulous work.

The shiny tabletop dimly reflected the faces of three young girls.

They were dressed in gorgeous evening gowns, like elves who had strayed into the adult world. Although their outfits were eye-catching, they were not disturbed by the people around them.

Kawasaki is tall, wears a neat bartender uniform, has a pretty face, and a meticulous attitude towards work, which enabled her to get this job with a good hourly wage.

As the three people took their seats one after another, she quietly served them coasters and dried fruits and patiently waited for the guests to place their orders.

The girl who spoke first was in high spirits: "Kawasaki-san is so serious, his aura is completely different."

Hearing this, Kawasaki looked at the other person with a puzzled look on his face, "Excuse me, who are you?"

The girl who was speaking had a smile on her face, looking warm and sincere, with a curiosity about the unknown in her eyes that didn't quite match her stunning outfit.

Her hair was tied up in a ladylike style, the crimson dress outlined the full lines of her chest, her shoulders revealed her soft skin, and a luxurious ruby ​​pendant adorned her chest. If the girl's tone of voice had not been so approachable, most people would probably have regarded her as the eldest daughter of a wealthy family.

Seeing that the other party failed to recognize her, Yuigahama looked a little hesitant and explained: "Ah, I am your classmate, Yuigahama Yui."

"I don't even recognize the only classmate I'm with."

A high and cold voice different from Yuigahama's sounded, immediately diverting Kawasaki's attention.

"You are... Yukinoshita." Kawasaki's eyes changed and he quickly recognized the most popular girl in the school.

Whether it is her outstanding appearance or her highly recognizable and clear voice, most students in the school can quickly recognize Yukinoshita.

But the wary look on Kawasaki's face clearly showed that he was not happy to see the other party.

The expensive black dress was visibly smooth and soft, but it was inferior to her shoulder-length hair under the snow. Her black hair was tied into a bun and fell naturally, and the curved arc showed its luster and softness, as if the noble black element was actively setting off her smooth jade-like skin.

Yukinoshita was dignified and politely but warmly greeted:

"Good evening, Kawasaki-san."

The female bartender, who was also a student, seemed to lose her temper. She changed her attitude of strictly following her job duties and looked helpless and unfocused. She glanced at the last girl:

"So she's also a student at Sobu High School?"

In response to the question from the strange senior, Isshiki showed a pure and friendly smile.

Her lovely temperament matches the pink evening dress very well. Her long hair is carefully tied behind her. A pair of small jewel earrings are quite eye-catching. A few strands of hair hang in front of her forehead, adding a bit of playfulness. She exudes youthful energy and vitality, as if she is a petal swaying gently in the spring breeze.

"My name is Isshiki Iroha, and I'm Kawasaki-senpai's junior."

"Youngsters..." Kawasaki sighed helplessly, leaned against the wall, and turned his gaze back to Yuigahama. "You all gathered here specially, could it be that you want to taste the taste of alcohol in advance?"

Yuigahama shook her head: "Of course not. After all, we are not old enough to drink."

"That's right. We are of similar age. We can neither drink openly nor work outside all night." Yukinoshita gently raised her wrist and her eyes fell on the hands of the watch.

This action was obviously meant for Kawasaki to see.

The clock has now passed 11 o'clock, and good law-abiding students cannot continue working late at night.

The only way for Saki Kawasaki to work every night until the next morning was to conceal her real age and deceive the adults around her.

If it were an ordinary student, he would have panicked or begged for mercy immediately when Yukinoshita saw through his disguise.

But Kawasaki's eyes were cold and he met Yukinoshita's gaze expressionlessly, as if he was not shaken.

"It seems you don't want to stop."

"Hmph, so what if you find out? It's just a matter of moving to another place." There was a tone of unwillingness in Kawasaki's words, betraying her self-destructive mood at the moment.

If you put yourself in their shoes, it is not difficult to understand that even though Kawasaki was guilty of concealing his age, he was just working diligently and was far from reaching the boundaries of Yukinoshita and his group.

How could she not feel angry after losing a job in such an unclear way?

"So do you have a grudge against me? Or do you want to play the role of a messenger of justice and show off this achievement in school?"

"That's not right." Yukinoshita did not give a direct answer, and told the other two in advance: Don't reveal our purpose in advance.

All of this is to test Saki Kawasaki's reaction and bottom line.

Given Kawasaki's current resistance, he probably won't be able to calm down and talk in a friendly manner. If further conflict is triggered, this meeting will only fail.

So, she followed someone else's example and changed the subject in a gentle tone: "We can order food."

Since Kawasaki is unwilling to give up this job, it is her duty to serve the customers in front of her wholeheartedly.

"Please go ahead." Kawasaki loosened his arms and tried his best to calm his inner irritation.

"Um...is there a menu?" Yuigahama stared blankly at Kawasaki who was not taking any action. It was her first time stepping into a high-end bar, so naturally she didn't know the drinks in the store.

Kawasaki replied indifferently: "Yes, there are, but you can't drink alcoholic beverages. Instead of looking at those strange names, I recommend soda water or juice that is relatively easy to drink."

"Perrier." Yukinoshita was prepared.

"Pah, pah... Peril? What did Xiaoxue order?" Yuigahama repeated it curiously. Her poor accent was enough to make the upper-class atmosphere around her return to being as down-to-earth as a citizen's vegetable market.

Yukinoshita answered her considerately, "France's sparkling water."

"Oh, it's a foreign drink. I'll choose this too." Yuigahama was too lazy to think about it. After all, there was no menu.

Kawasaki took one last look at Isseki's direction and waited for him to order.

"I feel like the prices here are going to be very expensive, so I'll just drink lime juice." Yi Se's choices tend to be cost-conscious.

Yukinoshita said generously: "It's a rare opportunity for you to come here, Isshiki-san, don't be too frugal, I will be responsible for the meal this time."

"Oh, really?" Isshiki Iroha smiled, but still rejected the senior's kindness. "Thank you very much, senior, but the more so, as a junior, I should also be more understanding. Otherwise, it will be terrible if I can't repay you."

"Hmm, I see... Then let's follow Isshiki's idea."

Although Yukinoshita was a little concerned, she didn't think much about it.

The so-called repayment... probably refers to the evening dress.

With Kawasaki's service, the three of them each drank the cold and refreshing drinks.

Compared to the meticulous bartending service, serving ready-made drinks is undoubtedly several times simpler.

Kawasaki also had time to look at Yukinoshita and his group, so he guessed, "You are from the same club, right?"

"Hey, Kawasaki-san is so smart."

Yuigahama naturally couldn't help but praise him for guessing the relationship between them at once without any hint.

Even though she praised him in person, Kawasaki's eyes were still a little wary:

"It's not clever, I just happened to remember it. You and Miura had a conflict in class, and people around you were talking about it. Even though I didn't care much, I accidentally heard that you joined Yukinoshita's club."

Yuigahama didn't expect to hear about her past from Kawasaki. She felt a little embarrassed when she spoke again: "Ahaha, that's true."

"Oh, so Yui-senpai had an argument with Miura-senpai before?" Isshiki suddenly became curious.

"Those things don't matter." Kawasaki's cold voice stopped Isshiki from starting a new topic.

The naughty school girl smiled awkwardly, picked up the glass and took a sip of the drink.

Kawasaki did not delay any longer and asked their leader: "Yukinoshita, what is your purpose in bringing the people from the club here?"

"Of course it's to resolve the commission." Yukinoshita responded calmly.

"A request? From whom? It can't be from Mr. Hiratsuka, how boring."

"The client is your brother."

"Dazhi..." Kawasaki was a little surprised to hear this unexpected answer, and his face became more tangled. "Dazhi actually contacted you?"

Yukinoshita looked him straight in the face and said pointedly, "This shows that he is so troubled that he has no choice but to seek help from outside."

"..."

According to the working principle of the Service Society, it is better to teach people how to fish than to give them fish.

Kawasaki Daishi should be allowed to solve his troubles with his own strength, and the Service Club can only play a supporting role.

However, even the school teachers cannot change Saki Kawasaki's problem, and this is no longer something Dazhi can solve alone.

Kawasaki was silent for a few seconds, and said in a nonchalant tone: "Although I don't know what Dazhi said to you, it's not as serious as you think. Working all night is my personal wish, and it won't bring any negative impact to others..."

"Is Taishi also someone else?" Yuigahama interrupted Kawasaki's explanation. The girl, who was always amiable, now showed a serious attitude, "Kawasaki-san, our presence in front of you actually means that you have troubled the people around you. Please face this fact first."

"..."

Saki Kawasaki was caught off guard, and the unspeakable silence lasted for a long time.

She had always regarded Yukinoshita as an important debate partner, but she did not expect that the gentle Yuigahama would suddenly hit her sore spot.

Of course, Yukinoshita and Isshiki were also a little surprised. After all, Yuigahama rarely showed a serious and tough attitude.

"Ha..." Kawasaki laughed in anger, "That makes sense, but what does this have to do with you? Don't talk nonsense in front of me!"

The atmosphere at the bar suddenly became depressing.

Kawasaki displayed an overwhelming aura, and her trembling body undoubtedly expressed her unwillingness.

After a few breaths, she continued with a hint of contempt in her eyes: "Don't act so superior in front of me. The reason I work here is nothing more than for money. What? Can you give me money? In any case, I have not yet fallen to the point of being lectured by you."

Yuigahama couldn't help but feel discouraged after hearing this. The other party had very real troubles that could not be resolved by just a few words from her.

"Please calm down first." Yukinoshita knew very well that a situation where normal communication could not take place would only turn into a place for venting emotions.

"Well, of course I want to, but I can't be as calm as you. How can you, who grew up in a wealthy family, truly understand? That's right, it's better to say that I'm numb than calm."

Yuigahama was immediately irritated by these words: "Kawasaki! Xiaoxue didn't..."

"It's okay." Yukinoshita put her hand on Yuigahama's shoulder to ease her friend's excitement of wanting to stand up for the weak.

Kawasaki knew that he had said too much, and at the same time, he felt a sense of despicableness towards Yukinoshita's astonishing calmness.

In fact, even Yukinoshita felt that she was too rational. If it were her previous self, she would inevitably be unable to suppress her urge to refute.

Maybe it's all the influence brought by Beinuo.

That calm and easy-going attitude undoubtedly made Yukinoshita yearn for it.

But what to do next?

It was obvious that Saki Kawasaki had no intention of communicating, and forcing the conversation would only result in a bad ending for both parties.

And Yukinoshita could sense that Kawasaki had a resistance to her from the very beginning.

She knew that this was a prejudice caused by jealousy of her own wealthy family background.

The calmer Yukinoshita's mind was, the more information she sensed.

Therefore, she gradually came to the conclusion: give up for the time being and let Kawasaki calm down completely over time, and the commission will definitely be solved next time.

Thinking of this, Yukinoshita was about to speak and ask the other two to leave together.

But at this moment, Isshiki Iroha said in a tone that sounded like a good kid:

"Ah~ I totally understand what you're talking about."

As soon as the schoolgirl opened her mouth, she immediately attracted their attention.

"In fact, I also value money. I can't even count the things I want to buy on one hand. Kawasaki-senpai deliberately concealed her age for a higher hourly wage. It sounds a bit mean, but I admire her even more."

"Hey, that... Iroha-chan, you can't admire this kind of behavior." Yuigahama couldn't help but complain, and even felt that Isshiki was a bit rebellious.

Such remarks defending opponents will certainly arouse suspicion among allies.

Even Kawasaki didn't appreciate it, "Please don't confuse me with you. I don't come here to work for food, drink and fun."

Yukinoshita was also a little helpless. She approved of Isshiki's strategy, but it was still too immature.

Just when the seniors let down their guard, Isshiki Caiyu quietly curled up the corners of her mouth and said playfully:

"I see... But what I admire is that you stay up late to work. After all, staying up late is bad for your skin. Even if makeup can cover it up a little, your happiness as a girl will only decrease in the long run."

This is indeed true.

Kawasaki replied impatiently: "That kind of thing is nothing to worry about."

As soon as he finished speaking, Isshiki showed a surprised expression, and his tone became more exaggerated: "That is to say, even though Kawasaki-senpai knew that staying up late would bring various side effects, she chose to endure it silently! And insisted on working part-time! So, senior sister, you must have a very important goal in mind..."

"Excuse me, what exactly is this? As a junior, it's hard not to be curious!"

Kawasaki looked at the schoolgirl who was full of admiration. She opened her mouth and somehow blurted out the goal that she had hidden from her family:

"Of course it's to earn tuition money!"

Ah, bad.

Isshi Caiyu's inquisitive and admiring look suddenly changed, and it had a bit of the charm of a villain who succeeded in his plan.

"Oh, it's because of the tuition."

"..."